Napping attachment for knitting machines



March 29, 1949. F. D. OAKES 2,455,916

NAPPING ATTACHMENT FOR KNiTTING MACHINES Filed April s, 1948. 2 Shets-Sheet 1 March 29, 1949. F. D. OAKES NAlPING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 6, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 0 ICE 2,465,916 lQAPPING ATTAC MENT FOR KNITTiNG MACHINES Fulton D. Cakes, ilamai'c'a' Plain,'Mass. np ucatian Aprut, l948fsrial'No. 19,196

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a napping attachment forcircular knitting machines which has for its purpose to'subject the surface of 'the'knitted fabric to the action of a napping brush by which a nap will be raised onsuch surface. ""Dvices ofthistyp'e are illustrated ih'rn'y Patents No. 1,961,939, I June 5, 1934, and No. 2,152,912, April '8, I939.

Said devices comprise a napping brush mounted to rotate bodily about the circular fabric as it is delivered from the circular knitting machine, the bristles of the brush having a brushing onnapraising engagement with the fabric during its t y mqv e t m h,

In my Patent No. 1,961,939 the brush is con tinuously'in engagement with the fabric so that the entire surface of the fabric is subjected to the nap-raising operation.

In Patent No. 2,152,912 the napping brush is mounted not only for rotary movement about'the fabric, but also for a movement toward and" from the fabric, that is, a movement between an inoperative position in which the brush is out'of engagement withthe fabric, and an operative position in which the brush is engaging thefabric; and means are provided for moving the napping brush into its operative position when it-is desired to provide the knit fabric with a' napped surface and into an inoperative position when it is desired to deliver a knit fabric from the knitting machine without a napped surface.

In knitting tubular fabric from which's'weaters and similar garments are made, it is customary to knit the portion of the fabric'which forms the bottom or waistband as a ribbed fabric-and to knit the portion of the fabric fromwhich the body of the sweater is made as a plain stitch fabric. The plain stitch portion of "such "a sweater fabric is frequently '--provided with a napped surface while the ribbed waistband portion is left in its natural condition, I a

The device shown in my Patent-No. 2,152,912 is one in which the napping" brush'is" normally in its inoperative'position out of engagement with being delivered from the knitting machinewith a1 napped surface. V

Moreover in the device of :said Patent No. 2,152,912 the napping brush is stationary'wh'en it is'in its inoperative position, ahdit isidtated about the fabric when it is moved into itsop- 15 th'e machine without 'havirig"a"napped surface.

2 erati've p o'siti'omthe construction being-suchthat the napping brush is "given its movement from its inoperative to its operative position "andtis' or' latching it" in I its operative position.

A further Object of the inventionis'toxprovide novel" means for releasing the latch toallow' the na'ppingbrushto resume its' 'inoperative position when it is desired to delivertheknit fabric' from In the drawings;"whereini have shown a slit-- ficientportion ofa circular knitting machine to enable the invention to be understood.

"Fig.2 is a side 'elvationof a portion of acircularkniittingmablfiheshowing my improvements applied thereto.

Fig."3 is a fragmentary'plan view showing one of me-napnmgbrushes iri'its inoperative position.

Fig. '4 is a' 'similar-"view sh0wing the napping brush "in "its' (sedative position.

Fig.5 "is a secn'onon the'line" 5 5, Fig. 4.

"In the drawings l' indicates the'table of a circlilar'knitting machine which is supported. on suitable legs, a fragment of one of the -legs being shown at 2, and which carries the needle cy1inder"3"and"theusual rotary cam ring 4. by which the needles are 'operated, neither the needles'fiortne mechanism by which the needles are operated by "the rotary cam ring 4 being shown, as they a re'wellknown partsof a circular knitting machine. 'The' cam ring 4 is rotated by usual means comprisin a driving shaft" 5- which i provided atits end with a gear 6 meshing with gear teeth "I with which" the cam ring 4 is provid'ed. v

The tubular fabricwhich is delivered fromthe machine "is indicated by the dotted'lines" 8, and as the 'fabric'isdelivered it passes over aspreader ring 9"which is supported by a center .pin lfl as usual'in'knitting machines of 'this type. 'The machine may be equipped with one or .more naprais'ing" "brushes, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1 hi the drawings in the interests oflsimplification. -Thenapping brush is indicated at l I, and it' has a'structure somewhats'imilar to card clothing'in thatit "comprises a; backing member l2 of leather" hen/111g brist1e1 oints l3 pnojecting therefrom. f Thebrusli lem'ent is mounted on a 3 and Hi to which the napping brush I I is attached. One end of the backing member 12 is formed with a loop I! which encircles the post l5 and the other end of the backing member is connected to the post I6 by a suitable spring l8. The carrier I4 for the brush is secured to a brush-carrying ring H! which surrounds the fabric as it is delivered from the knitting needles and is supported in a supporting ring 20 that is carried by suitable arms 2| depending from the table I. The brush-carrying ring l9 derives its rotary motion as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 from the shaft 5 and for this purpose the gear 6 by which the cam ring 4 is operated meshes with and drives another gear 22 carried by a shaft 23. Said shaft 23 has a sprocket wheel thereon which is connected by a sprocket chain 24 to a sprocket wheel loose on a shaft 25, and said shaft 25 has mounted thereon a gear 26 which meshes with rack teeth 21 formed on the under side of the brush-carrying ring [9. The sprocket wheel on the shaft 25 may be connected thereto by means of a manually operated clutch 28 which is controlled by means of a clutch lever pivoted at I l.

I have stated above that the napping brush is movable from an inoperative position such as shown in Fig. 3 in which it is out of contact with the knit fabric into an operative position shown in Fig. 4 in which the bristles of the brush have engagement with the fabric for the purpose of raising the nap thereon. To provide for this movement of the napping brush the carrier I4 is mounted on a slide 29 which has a radial movement on a supporting plate 36 that is secured to the brush carrying ring [9. The slide 29 is acted on by springs 31 which yieldingly and normally hold the slide in its retracted position shown in Fig. 3 in which position the brush II is out of contact with the fabric 8. The slide 29 is shown as having a slot 32 therein in which is received a guiding pin 33 carried by the plate 30, said pin and slot serving to guide the carrier in its radial movement. The means for moving the slide inwardly to carry the brush from its inoperative to its operative position comprises a cam member 34 pivoted at 35 to the plate 30 and connected by a link 36 to the carrier l4. The cam member 34 is provided with the cam face 31. The supporting ring 28 carries a striker element 38 in the form of a roll mounted on the end of an arm 39 that is secured to a post or pin 40 mounted in a bracket 4| carried by the supporting ring 28 and said post is capable of vertical movement thereby to move the striker 38 from its operative elevated position into its inoperative lowered position shown by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 5. When the striker element is in its lowered dotted line position, Fig. 5, the striker 38 is below the plane of the cam member 34, but when the striker is raised into its operative elevated position, it is so placed that as the brushcarrying ring I9 is rotated, said striker will enease the cam face 31 of the cam member 34 and swing the latter inwardly into the position shown in Fig. 4 thereby moving the carrier l4 forwardly and placing the napping brush in its operative position.

Means are provided for locking or latching the cam member 34 in its inward position thereby locking the napping brush in its operative position. For this purpose the cam member 34 is provided with a notch 42 adapted to be engaged by a spring pressed locking dog 43 when the cam member is in its inward position shown in Fig. 4, said locking dog or latch 43 being pivoted on the plate 30 at 44 and being acted on by a spring 45 which moves the latch into its locking position whenever the cam member 34 is moved inwardly.

When the clutch 28 is engaged, the brush-carrying ring I9 will be rotating in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, thereby carrying the napping brush ll around the fabric 8. So long as said brush is in its inoperative position shown in Fig. 3, it will be out of engagement with the fabric during such rotary movement and therefore there will be no nap-raising operation performed.

The shift in position of the napping brush from its inoperative to its operative position and vice versa is controlled by a pattern chain 46 such as is illustrated in my Patent No. 2,152,912. Said pattern chain is mounted on and operated by a sprocket wheel 49 that is rotatably mounted on a shaft 50, said sprocket Wheel 49 deriving its rotary movement from the cam ring 4. For this purpose the shaft 50 has fast thereon a rachet wheel 5| with which cooperates a pawl 52 that is given an oscillating movement by an eccentric 53 on a shaft 54. The shaft 54 is connected to the cam ring 4 by a train of gearing 55, 56.

Cooperating with the pattern chain is a rocker 14 mounted on a stud shaft 51, said rocker having one arm 58 resting on the pattern chain and another arm 59 which is pivotally connected by a link 6| to one end of an arm 62 fast on a rock shaft 63 which is supported by a bracket 64. The rock shaft 63 has fast thereto another arm 68 which is connected to the lower end of the post 40 as shown at 65.

The construction is such that when the arm 58 rests on the low links 48 of the pattern chain,

' the post 40 and the striker 38 will be in their lowered dotted line position, Fig. 5, while when a high link 41 passes under the arm 58, the rocker 14 will be turned counterclockwise thereby similarly turning the rock shaft 63 and raising the post 40 and striker 38 into the raised full line position Fig. 5.

So long as the arm 58 is resting on the low I links 48 of the pattern chain, the napping brush will be in its inoperative position shown in Fig. 3. When, during the movement of the pattern chain, the arm 58 is engaged by high links 41 thereof, the rocker 14 will be turned thereby raising the post 40- and the striker 38 into the elevated position shown in full lines Fig. 5, in which elevated position said striker is in the path of the cam surface 31 of the cam member 34. Consequently as the cam 34 is brought into engagement with the striker by the rotative movement of the brush-carrying ring l9 as shown in Fig. 4, such engagement of the striker with the cam surface 31 will move the slide 29 and the napping brush from their inoperative position into their operative position in which the napping brush engages the fabric and is operative to raise the nap there-- As the parts reach their operative position shown in Fig. 4, the spring pressed latch 43 engages the notch 42 of the cam 31 and thus locks the cam and napping brush in their operative position.

The parts willremain in such operative position so long as the arm 58 is riding on the high links 41 of the pattern chain. When, during the movement of the pattern chain, the high links move out from under the arm 58, then the rocker 14 is turned clockwise thereby lowering the post 40 aigd the striker 38 into the dotted line position F 0 The latch 43 carries on its under side a roll 66 which occupies a horizontal plane below that of the striker when the latter is in its elevated position shown in full lines, Fig. 5. When, however, the striker is in its lowered position shown in dotted lines Fig. 5, it is in the path of movement of said roll 66. Hence when the high links 41 pass out from under the arm 58, and the striker has: assumed its low position, the roll 66 will be brought into engagement with the striker with the result that the latch 43 will be released and the springs 3| will return the slide 29 and the napping brush to their inoperative position shown in Fig. 3. The cam member 31 is provided with a slot 16 in which is received a pin 'l'l carried by the plate 30, said pin and slot serving to limit the return movement of the brush holder and brush from their operative position to their inoperative position.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, a napping brush, means to rotate the napping brush around the fabric as it is delivered from the knitting machine, said brush being movable in a radial direction relative toits rotary movement between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric, spring means urging said napping brush toward its inoperative position,- a pattern-controlled member, means rendered operative by said member and the rotary movement of the napping brush to move the latter from its inoperative to its operative position against the action of said spring means, and a latch to retain said napping brush in such operative position.

2. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, a napping brush, means to rotate the napping brush around the fabric as it is delivered from the knitting machine, said brush being movable in a radial direction relative to its rotary movement between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the. fabric and an operative position in which it enages the fabric, spring means urging said napping brush toward its inoperative position, a pattern-controlled member movable between a raised and a lowered position, means rendered operative by said member when in raised position and the rotary movement of the napping brush to move the latter from its inoperative to its operative position against the action of said spring means, and a latch to retain said napping brush in such operative position, said patterncontrolled member when in lowered position being operative to release the latch.

3. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, a brush-supporting member, means to rotate said brush-supporting member about the tubular fabric, a napping brush mounted on said brush-supporting member and movable thereon between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric, spring means normally holding said napping brush in its inoperative position, a patterncontrolled member, means rendered operative by said pattern-controlled member and the rotation of the brush-supporting member to move the napping brush from its inoperative to its operative position against the action of the spring means, and a latch to retain the napping brush in such operative position.

4. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, a brush-supporting member,

means to rotate said brush-supporting member about the tubular fabric, a napping brush mounted on said brush-supporting member and movable thereon between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric,

spring means normally holding said napping brush in its inoperative position, a pattern-controlled member movable alternately into a raised and a lowered position, means rendered operative by the pattern-controlled member when in raised position and the rotation of the brushsupporting member to move the napping brush from its inoperative to its operative position against the action of the spring means, and a latch to retain the napping brush in such operative position, said pattern-controlled member when in lowered position being operative to release the latch.

5. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, a napping brush, means to rotate the napping brush around the tubular fabric, said napping brush being movable radially relative to its rotative movement between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric, spring means normally holding said napping brush in its inoperative position, pattern mechanism actuated by the knitting machine, means controlled by the pattern mechanism to move the napping brush into its operative position against the action of the spring means, and means to lock the napping brush in such operative position.

6. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, a napping brush, means to rotate the napping brush around the tubular fabric, said napping brush being movable radially relative to'its rotative movement between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric, spring means normally holding said napping brush in its inoperative position, pattern mechanism actuated by the knitting machine, means controlled by the pattern mechanism to move the napping brush into its operative position against the action of the spring means, a latch to hold the napping brush in its operative position, said pattern controlled means having provision to release the latch.

'7. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, an annular brush-supporting member encircling the knitted fabric as it is delivered from the machine, means to rotate said brush-supporting member about its axis, a napping brush carried by said brush-supporting member and movable thereon between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric, spring means normally holding said napping brush in its inoperative position, pattern mechanism actuated by the knitting machine, means controlled by said pattern mechanism and rendered operative by the rotation of the brush-supporting member to move the napping brush from its inoperative position to its operative position, and a latch for holding said napping brush in its operative position.

8. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, an annular brush-supporting member encircling the knitted fabric as it is delivered from the machine, means to rotate said brush-supporting member about its axis, a napping brush carried by said brush-supporting member and movable thereon between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric, spring means normally holding said napping brush in its inoperative position, pattern mechanism actuated by the knitting machine, means controlled by said pattern mechanism and rendered operative by the rotation of the brush-supporting member to move the napping brush from its inoperative position to its operative position, a latch for holding said napping brush in its operative position, and latch-releasing means also controlled by the pattern mechanism.

9. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, an annular brush-carrying member encircling the knitted fabric as it is delivered from the machine, means to rotate said brush-carrying member about its axis, a brush holder mounted on the annular brush-carrying member, a napping brush carried by the brush holder, said brush holder being movable radially on the brush-carrying member to move the brush between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric, a cam member pivotally mounted on said brush-carrying member and connected to the brush carrier, a cam-actuating striker, and means to move the striker into the path of movement of the cam member, whereby engagement of the cam member with the striker resulting from the rotary movement of the brush-carrying member will turn the cam on its pivot and thereby move the brush from its inoperative to its operative position.

10. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, an annular brush-carrying member encircling the knitted fabric as it is delivered from the machine, means to rotate said brushcarrying member about its axis, a brush holder mounted on the annular brush-carrying member, a napping brush carried by the brush holder, said brush holder being movable radially on the brushcarrying member to move the brush between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric, a cam member piv- 8, otally mounted on said brush-carrying member and connected to the brush carrier, a cam-actuating striker, and means to move the striker intothe path of movement of the cam member, whereby engagement of the cam member with the striker resulting from the rotary movement of the brush-carrying member will turn the cam on its pivot and thereby move the brush from its inoperative to its operative position, and a latch for automatically locking the brush in its operative position.

11. In a circular knitting machine for knitting a tubular fabric, an annular brush-carrying member encircling the knitted fabric as it is delivered from the machine, means to rotate said brushcarrying member about its axis, a brush holder mounted on the annular brush-carrying member, a napping brush carried by the brush holder, said brush holder being movable radially on the brushcarrying member to move the brush between an inoperative position in which it is out of engagement with the fabric and an operative position in which it engages the fabric, a cam member pivotally mounted on said brush-carrying member and connected to the brush carrier, a camactuating striker, means to move the striker into and out of the path of movement of the cam member, said striker, when in the path of the cam member actuating the latter to move the brush holder and brush from their inoperative into their operative position, a latch cooperating with the cam member for locking the brush in its operative position, said latch having means cooperating with the striker when it is out of the path of the cam member to effect a release of said latch, and spring means to return the brush holderand brush to their inoperative position when the latch is released.

FULTON D. OAKES.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Oakes Apr. 4, 1939 Number 

